RCS World 2023 by Mobile Ecosystem Forum

I’m excited to share my experience at RCS World 2023 in Paris on the 3rd of October. This game-changing event brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of RCS messaging.

For those who might not know, RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a new messaging standard that is replacing SMS. It’s like SMS, but with superpowers. RCS messages can include read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution photos and videos, and even interactive features like polls and quizzes.

Key takeaways from the event

One of the key takeaways from the event was the growing importance of conversational commerce. As Dario Betti, CEO of MEF mentioned, business messaging is going from strength to strength. With more enterprises being part of conversational commerce, RCS Business Messaging (RBM) is having a massive impact and is looking to grow the overall ecosystem.

Another key topic was omnichannel orchestration. Colin Decamps, Senior Manager Customer Experience – BearingPoint showed us how 69% of customers used a new digital channel to contact companies since 2020. He also mentioned two other priorities for CX organizations: using customer data more effectively and implementing AI-powered services.

Google’s mission for RCS

Jan Jedrzejowicz from Google gave a fantastic presentation on Google’s mission for RCS at RCS World 2023. He began by talking about the mission statement for #GoogleMessages, which is to provide reliable, helpful, and safe communication for all devices. He also mentioned that Google is investing heavily in cross-device messaging experiences.

Google’s mission for RCS is to make it the universal messaging standard for everyone. RCS is a modern messaging protocol that offers a number of advantages over SMS, including:

• Richer messaging experiences: RCS messages can include high-resolution photos and videos, read receipts, typing indicators, and interactive features like polls and quizzes.
• Cross-device messaging: RCS messages can be sent and received on any device, including smartphones, tablets, and computers.
• End-to-end encryption: RCS messages can be encrypted end-to-end, which means that only the sender and recipient can read them.

Google believes that RCS has the potential to revolutionize the way we communicate with each other. By making RCS the universal messaging standard, Google can help to improve the communication experience for everyone, regardless of their device or carrier.

Here are some specific examples of how Google is working to achieve its mission for RCS:

• Investing in Google Messages: Google is heavily developing and promoting Google Messages, the default messaging app on Android devices. Google is committed to improving Google Messages, which is already one of the most popular messaging apps in the world.
• Working with carriers and device manufacturers: Google is closely working with carriers and device manufacturers to ensure wide RCS support. Most carriers and over 500 Android device manufacturers currently support RCS.
• Advocating for RCS: Google is advocating for all stakeholders, including carriers, device manufacturers, and other messaging app providers, to adopt RCS. Google believes that RCS is the best way to improve the messaging experience for everyone.

Google’s mission for RCS is ambitious, but it is achievable. By working with carriers, device manufacturers, and other stakeholders, Google can help to make RCS the universal messaging standard for everyone.

Google Messages achievements in 2023

Some of the key achievements of the Google Messages team in 2023 include:

• The launch of Jedi features, such as #MagicCompose
• Crossing 800 million active users with RCS (expecting to hit 1 billion by the end of the year)
• Updating the branding for Google Messages to make it clear when users are using RCS
• Advocating for #RCS to be brought to all smartphones, since it’s supported by most carriers and over 500 Android device manufacturers—but not Apple

Businesses & companies leveraging RCS

Businesses and companies are leveraging RCS in a variety of ways. For example, the number of monetized RBM messages has grown by 15x in the last nine months. The industry has also coalesced around a single set of RBM APIs. Additionally, Google Messages has announced an integration with #GoogleWallet.

Innovative RCS solutions

One of my favorite examples of innovative RCS solutions is Mayte Martín from Orange España’s solution for RENFE. This solution leverages RCS and Google Wallet to provide customers with important information in an easy, fast, and safe way.

Another exciting solution is Orange Business Spain’s “CONFIDENCIAL” solution for promoting tourism. I can’t wait to see the results of this solution!

Conclusion

RCS is the future of messaging. It’s faster, richer, and more engaging than SMS. Businesses and companies are already leveraging RCS to improve their customer experience and grow their bottom line.

RCS is the missing link between SMS and OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. It offers the best of both worlds: the reliability and reach of SMS with the rich features and functionality of OTT messaging apps.

I encourage everyone to get involved with RCS. It’s time to upgrade our communications for everyone! If you have any questions about the event, want to learn more about RCS, or want to know how to apply it to your business, please contact me.

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